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Attract the Right Job Or Clientele:
Ethnic Minority and Women Leaders
Greg Jenkins offers his inspiring story, Ethnic Minority and Women Leaders: My Experience as a White Male Soldier
Greg Jenkins is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major. During his 28+ year Army career, his assignments and missions included those in Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Germany, South Korea, Iraq, and Washington, DC. He served as a Squad leader, Platoon Sergeant, Drill Sergeant, Service School Instructor, First Sergeant, Operations Sergeant, and Senior Equal Opportunity Advisor. Greg is the Founder and CEO of Greg Jenkins Consulting LLC, where he continues to develop and expand his passion for diversity and inclusion.
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Ethnic Minority and Women Leaders: My Experience as a White Male Soldier
Women and ethnic minority leaders are some of our best leadership resources. In our continually shrinking and complex world, we need leaders who know how to lead and maneuver through intricate group dynamics and communicate across different cultures.
In my 28+ years of active U.S. Army service, I have had many high-quality leaders, regardless of race, color, gender, religious preference, or national origin. However, I want to highlight some of those minority men and women I had during my time in uniform. Not only did these men and women lead us to our collective successes of mission accomplishment. But, they also did so while enduring differing levels of discrimination and exclusion that I was neither aware of nor had to contend with. It was not until much later in my life and career that I realized just what those caring and gifted men and women had to go through while leading; continue to endure in some cases.
I did not know what white male privilege was or that I was enjoying such a privilege until 2005. It was when I experienced equal opportunity training and education at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) located at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. What I learned there forced me to reflect on my career and life and think about the women and ethnic minority leaders I had while serving. The training I experienced caused me to take a hard look at myself as a leader. Until that awakening, I had thought of myself as a good leader who knew and understood his Soldiers well. But I then realized I had much to learn about myself and the people around me.
These leaders I speak of now did, and still do, provide something great for the Army and society. They provided outstanding examples of intelligence, courage, humility, strength, and caring. It was so even when reciprocity was not present for similar respect and additional courtesies to them in kind.
Historically, women and ethnic minority leaders have played a significant role in our nation becoming more unified and effective in what we do and, more importantly, who we are as a country. Women and ethnic minorities provide our military and nation with a largely untapped resource of differing perspectives that many in our society have only begun to realize fully.
In many cases, the women and ethnic minority leaders I have known worked harder and longer and provided better leadership than others. I watched them work even more diligently to gain the same acceptance and inclusion that other leaders almost automatically obtained by default. I learned more about sacrifice and dedication from these leaders.
An excellent example is Sergeant Reginald White, my best squad leader. He was an African American man who taught me how to care for my Soldiers properly and who also taught me maybe my most important lesson, that the most challenging thing in life that I will ever have to do will be to forgive others.
Then there is Captain Diane Cummins, an African American woman who often puts up with insensitive and unsolicited comments about her ability to lead. However, she performed better than any other company commander I had. Or there’s Chief Petty Officer Keith Perkins, an African American man, who explained how he did not feel safe unless he had a weapon to protect him and his family when he had to drive across our own country.
Then there’s Captain Angela Berg, a white woman, and engineering officer. She was referred to as not being a “real” engineer officer by our battalion commander, even though she was successfully running the largest engineering company in the battalion. There is also Major General Randy Castro, a Hispanic male, who, alone amongst his commanders and staff, was the only leader concerned with the challenges of off-post housing for all Soldiers.
Another leader was Command Sergeant Major (retired) Bob Keehu, an Asian man. He shared with our group how he would have to explain to strangers why he was holding the hand of a little white girl as he walked through airports and other establishments, even though the little girl was his granddaughter. Finally, Command Sergeant Major Maria Martinez, a Hispanic woman and American citizen with over 30 years of Army service, still to this day from time to time gets asked to provide proof of her U.S. citizenship.
Despite the obstacles above, I never witnessed these leaders quit, complain, or take revenge. Instead, they rose above demeaning behavior and led us to successful mission accomplishment. In short, they endured and provided outstanding examples of grace and perseverance.
In this continually changing and dynamic world, we need people who know how to lead and maneuver through intricate group dynamics. These leaders must also have the competencies to communicate across different cultures providing dignity and respect while accomplishing the mission.
In Conclusion: Ethnic Minority and Women Leaders
Ethnic Minority and Women Leaders are some of the best suited for these and other challenges, as they’ve been serving and leading with distinction in challenging environments around the world for many years. Respect is well-deserved, as is an appreciation for their service to our country.
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Sales Tips: Ethnic Minority and Women Leaders
- Never underestimate ethnic minority and women leaders, as they have lifelong experience dealing with many types of discrimination.
- The experience of discrimination gives way to realizing the better way to treat other people.
- Treating others with respect and listening in full to ask questions for further insight serves everyone well.
- Varying thought provides each with a broader perspective about what is possible for a more robust solution.
- Ethnic minority and women leaders have experiences of which most others are unaware.
- Learning about the lives others live can foster new ideas and open new doors for opportunity.
- Giving everyone we encounter the opportunity to speak as we listen can be educational for all and advance our endeavors.
- Inclusiveness contributes heartily to business growth.
- Atypical ideas presented by ethnic minority and women leaders can help to surpass our competitors.
- Celebrate Success!
Today’s insights are provided to help you achieve the Smooth Sale!
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